Hugo Corral, owner of Hugo's Barber Shop in Greeley, has his reflection caught in the door next to a sign that warns patrons not to enter if they smell like marijuana. Corral has recently decided to not allow patrons in if they smell like marijuana, saying the smell would disrupt anyone in the store. Corral says he doesn't take issue with anyone who smokes marijuana, he only wants to prevent his shop from smelling like pot.

Hugo Corral, owner of Hugo's Barber Shop, sits at the main desk as patrons get haircuts Friday afternoon at the barber shop, 1101 8th St. in Greeley. Corral has recently decided to not allow patrons in if they smell like marijuana, saying the smell would disrupt anyone in the store. Corral says he doesn't take issue with anyone who smokes marijuana, he only wants to prevent his shop from smelling like pot.

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Walking into Hugo’s Barber Shop in Greeley, one gets a sense of days gone by.

The barbers dress up for work and the shop has an air of class and respect.

Owner Hugo Corral has tried to instill the feeling of barbershops of yesteryear in his business.

“Barbershops of the past were a neighborhood gathering place but that culture is gone,” said Corral. “I am trying to preserve that feeling in my store.”

Lately, though, he has had a problem doing that because of the legalization of marijuana.

Corral said people come into his shop at 1101 8th St. stinking of weed and fill the shop with the smell, which ruins the family friendly atmosphere he and his barbers are trying to preserve.

So he decided to do something about it.

Corral posted a sign in the window that reads “Please do not come in if you smell like marijuana, there are families with kids who don’t want to smell it. This is a business not your house, thank you.”

That declaration has garnered attention from local and national media and some nasty responses from Greeley residents.

But Corral said he is determined to set an example.

“I know I’m not the only business with this problem, but I am the first one to try to deal with it,” Corral said.

His policy has generated plenty of negativity. The shop’s Facebook page has had dozens of hate-filled comments.

Corral said some news outlets have painted him as being anti-marijuana but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Corral said he is actually a major supporter of legal marijuana and he has done cross promotions with local marijuana dispensaries.

Corral, who is 23 and also a record company manager, freely acknowledges having occasionally consumed marijuana himself.

“I support it. I don’t even mind people coming in here high. I just don’t want people coming in here stinking of it,” Corral said. “People think that just because it’s now legal they can do whatever they want and that just isn’t true.”

For Corral, the issue comes down to respect.

“I just want people to respect myself, my business and my customers,” he said.

Corral said most of his customers are respectful and he even observed one man in the parking lot actually changing his shirt before coming inside the barbershop because he knew he smelled of marijuana.

While Corral was being interviewed by a Tribune reporter, two people inside the barbershop smelled of marijuana.

Corral instructed them to spray their shirts with one of several cans of air freshener he keeps around the shop just for that purpose.

“I haven’t turned anyone away,” he said.

As for the venomous comments on Facebook, Corral just shrugs those off.